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LG G2 Unboxing and Hands on Review
LG today launched the G2 a successor to the Nexus style Optimus G and the G Pro, the new LG G2 brings to the table what LG seems to have been missing from a long time. The LG G2 offers a mix of impressive hardware a decent design and build along with the right pricing. The two variants the 16 GB and 32 GB have been launched in India for prices Rs. 40497 and Rs. 43497 respectively (latest price below) .

In the box of the LG G2 are the usual things:
The initial impressions of the LG G2 are quite impressive, out the box, the device just blazes across tasks. The impressive 5.2 inch display has a minimal bezel and great visibility outdoors, the usual great viewing angles, Gorilla Glass 2 and OGS HD IPS LCD which has a full HD 1920x1080p resolution. The LG G2 comes with a non-removable 3000 mAh battery along with a non expandable storage capacity of either 16 or 32 GB.

The rear camera on the LG G2 is an improved version of the on Optimus G pro with a 13 MP BSI sensor with OIS and 1920 x 1080 p hd video capture at 60 fps. The G2 will remain LG’s flagship this year and with great conviction thanks to the great set of hardware. The phone aesthetically is good to look at, the rear of the device sits in the hand really comfortably thanks to the curved edges and rounded corners. The phone is extremely light when you pick it up and at first appears as if is without a battery. The subtle chrome lines and the metallic back buttons ensure that the device looks premium adding to the patterned back panel.

Putting the buttons on the back of the device may not be LG’s most shining moment, but it also makes the device free from bumps and ridges, letting your hand and fingers slide smoothly across the sides of the device. The knock to unlock screen also makes the experience of locking and unlocking the device a lot more potent.

[pullquote_left]LG might have a winner here[/pullquote_left]

The biggest A factor of the device has to be the gorgeous display along with the minimal bezel design which makes the front of the device fell as if its purely display (edge to edge). LG might have a winner here, but lets wait for our full review!

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LG G2
September 30, 2013
LG Launches the new G2 in India Starting Rs. 40499 for 16GB

LG today launched the new LG G2 in India for a Price of Rs. 40497 for the 16 GB variant and Rs. 43490 for 32 GB. The new G2 is a follow up of the Optimus G which has been a very popular device for LG globally. The New LG G2 comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset with a Quad Core Krait 400 CPU clocked at 2.2 GHz and the new Adreno 330 GPU.

The LG G2 has a 13 MP camera with OIS and 1080p video at 60fps, the front facing 2.1 MP also captures full HD 1080p at 30fps, LG is highlighting new features of the camera including time lapse shot, burst shot, dual camera and dynamic tone. LG has also retained older features like the cheese shot which allows you to click a picture using a series of words like : LG, Whiskey , Kimchi etc.

The new G2 has a 5.2 inch 1920 x 1080 p True HD-IPS + LCD capacitive display with a fantastic 424 ppi pixel density, the front has Corning Gorilla gGlass 2 and LG’s OGS technology. The LG G2 is expected to do well in the country considering the righ kind of pricing from LG and the previous overall satisfied experience of the users. The 2GB RAm based LG G2 also has a 3000 mAh battery which has been designed by LG to charge quickly and last longer than usual.

The LG G2 goes on sale today , stay tuned for our unboxing and hands on.

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[toggle title=”Press Release”]
New Delhi, 30 September, 2013: Breaking the rule to offer an impeccable experience to its customers, LG Electronics today launched its flagship smartphone LG G2 in India. G2, the latest kid on the block, introduced under LG’s new ‘G’ series of premium devices is designed on insights derived from LG’s study of consumer lifestyle and behavior. A pioneer in design, elegance and technology, this 5.2 inch smartphone is equipped with the industry’s most advanced mobile chipset, the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 800 Processor, and runs Android Jelly Bean.

LG G2 has breakthroughs in almost every aspect of the phone. It changes the norm in smartphone design by placing all the buttons on the rear of the device, thereby making it the first mobile phone completely devoid of the side buttons. Its other remarkable features include studio-like sound quality, rich graphics and outstanding battery efficiency. The phone has a unique privacy feature that sets two pattern locks thereby, allowing limited interface for guest users. Not only this, unlocking the phone has never been this easy, knock on the display twice. This everyday and most used features too has been given a twist to make it convenient for customers.

At the launch, Mr. Soon Kwon, M.D., LG India, explains, “The smartphone market in India is reaching newer heights, with a total of 9.3 million smartphones being shipped in the second quarter this year, as per a recent report. Our focus with G2 is to give our customers a phone that is smart and convenient, in every way- a unique design, a large display, high quality camera with Image Stabilizer, true studio like sound and compelling user experience. LG G2 is a perfect phone that epitomizes our DNA, innovation.”

“At LG, we innovate by learning and delivering to the needs of our customers. With the launch of G2 our aim is of capturing 10% market share of the Smartphone category by the end of 2014. We are targeting 150 Cr turnover from G2,” added Mr. Kwon.

LG Mobiles has earmarked Rs. 100 cr for marketing and strengthening the retail and channel expansion.

A New Dimension in Smartphone Design
The G2’s unique placement of all the buttons on the device’s rear end came from the insights drawn from an LG study – Learning from you. The study showed that placing their index finger on the back of the phone is how most people naturally hold the smartphone as it is most comfortable and stable way to hold it. So we have placed the keys on the back of the phone so that users are able to control both the power and volume buttons with the index finger. This makes the handheld experience of a phablet much easier and convenient. Researchers found that moving the buttons resulted in fewer dropped phones when adjusting the volume while talking. The rear volume keys are also multi-functional and long pressing them would launch QuickMemo app and the camera.

Edge to Edge Display
The G2 sports a gorgeous 5.2 inch Full HD IPS display. The IPS display ensures superior graphics, accurate colors and clear images without any distortion. For more efficient energy usage, the LG G2 employs Graphic RAM (GRAM) technology which reduces the display’s energy use by up to 26 percent on a still frame and increases overall usage time on the device by approximately 10 percent. To offer an expansive viewing experience, LG’s innovative Dual Routing technology reduces the phone’s bezel to a mere 2.65mm on the side edge which makes the maximum viewability of the large 5.2inch in compact and slim design.

Dual- Recording and Hi-Fi Sound
The LG G2’s high-resolution 13MP camera comes equipped with Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) technology to prevent blurring. This also allows to take pictures of objects in motion as clear as they were still. G2 allows dual-recording with its 13MP back and 2.1MP front camera. While most smartphone cameras with OIS tend to offer a resolution in the 4MP to 8MP range but G2 is unique in that as it offers 13MP and OIS technology in a slim design without a protruding lens. To add to the steadiness and the beauty of a camera, it is packed in Sapphire crystal glass. It is also the first smartphone on the market today to feature 24 bit/192kHz Hi-Fi playback that reproduces studio-like quality sound. Consumers can now experience a level of audio realism that was not possible before in a smartphone.

Intuitive UX for a better engagement
LG G2 comes with a number of compelling user experience (UX) features that provide the most practical value by focusing on a smartphones most popular task. If the G2 is lying on a surface face-up, its KnockOn feature helps the smartphone to be powered on by simply tapping twice on the display. The Guest Mode feature protects privacy as it sets two pattern locks. It allows the owner to set up a sort of guest interface for people who want to experience the phone. Using Guest Mode, the owner can secure important files and deny access to certain applications. The Text Link feature allows information embedded in text messages to be selected and easily saved in a memo or calendar and searched on a map or the internet. QuickRemote app transforms G2 into a universal remote to control popular home entertainment devices and operate multiple devices. Slide Aside enables easier multitasking by simply “sliding” open apps off to the side using a three-finger swipe.

The LG G2 brings everything together in a device with comfortable, functional, convenient and beautiful design. LG G2 is priced at MRP Rs. 41,500 and will be available in various stores across India.

About LG Electronics India Pvt. Ltd.
LG Electronics India Pvt. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of LG Electronics, South Korea was established in January 1997 in India. It is one of the most formidable brands in consumer electronics, home appliances, IT hardware and mobile communications space. In India for a decade, LG has earned a premium brand positioning and is the acknowledged trendsetter for the industry.
LGEIL’s manufacturing unit at Greater Noida is one of the most eco-friendly units among all LG manufacturing plants in the world. The second Greenfield facility is located at Ranjangaon; Pune has the capacity to manufacture LED TV’s, Air Conditioners, Washing Machines, Refrigerators, and Monitors .[/toggle]

September 30, 2013
Samsung to Reportedly Make 30-40 Percent of Apple’s A8 chip

The A8 chip in Apple’s next flagship smartphone will be made by Samsung, as reported by Korean daily Hankyung, but majority of the manufacturing will be handled by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.

TSMC will have the major responsibility of manufacturing 60 to 70 percent of the A8 processors, while the rest would be manufactured by Samsung itself. Samsung will be manufacturing 30 to 40 percent of the processors for Apple’s next generation devices.

Earlier, reports showed that Samsung manufactured the A7 chips for Apple, but this time Apple has signed a deal with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company in the month of June to start manufacturing chips for upcoming Apple devices.

September 30, 2013
Google Improves Search Accuracy Via Hummingbird Update

Marking Google’s 15th birthday, the Hummingbird update was release which is the biggest change to the inner workings of the world’s most popular search engine since Google’s “Caffeine” update in 2010, which sped up Google’s indexing of sites and delivery of search results.

The Hummingbird update focuses more on Google’s Knowledge Graph – an encyclopaedia of about 570m concepts and relationships that allows Google to anticipate facts and figures you might want to know about your search term.

When you search Google it no longer just searches for individual keywords; it can now respond to questions and statements in the same way a human might, by looking at the whole query – even if it doesn’t have an exact answer.

Apart from ‘Hummingbird’, several other updates have been announced, with most aiming at providing the data more concisely to allow people not to navigate to another website to find out more – which can prove difficult on small smart phone screens.

“Remember what it was like to search in 1998? You’d sit down and boot up your bulky computer, dial up on your squawky modem, type in some keywords, and get 10 blue links to websites that had those words,” Senior vice president Amit Singhal wrote in a separate blog post.

“The world has changed so much since then: billions of people have come online, the web has grown exponentially, and now you can ask any question on the powerful little device in your pocket.”

These changes mainly affect the ‘Knowledge Graph’, a box that appears on top or alongside other search results. In particular, its new version will be able to compare the attributes of two different things. ‘Google Now’, a virtual assistant that provides for the user the information about his interests and location, will start flagging new developments – for example, in the life of a celebrity – that interest the user.

September 28, 2013
Report : Beats Audio To Buy Out Remaining HTC Stake For $265 Million

Reports are coming in that HTC is indeed about to sell its stake back to Beats. In 2010, HTC owned 50 percent of Beats, before selling half last year for $150 million. The remaining 25 percent has increased in price considerably since then, as the new deal will close at $265 million.

It seems that Beats has already taken on a new partner in the form of Carlyle Group, which is said to be investing $500 million into Beat’s expansion efforts.

“We are confident that Beats will continue to drive innovation and growth in the premium audio accessory market, particularly as the proliferation of smart phones and tablets stimulate increased consumption of digital media,” Sandra Horbach, a managing director at Carlyle, said in a statement.

Now that the partnership is ending, Beats is free to continue down the path of pushing its Beats audio technology into other products including in-car dashes, HP computers and – of course- its premium headphone line. For HTC, it means a pretty hefty cash infusion that can help the company can (hopefully) use to further facilitate growth and recovery after years of struggle.

Founded in 2006 by rapper Dr. Dre and Iovine, chairman of music label Interscope, Beats has come to dominate the market for pricey headphones. According to the NPD Group, Beats has grabbed more than 60 percent of the U.S. market for headphones costing more than $100. Its signature headsets retail for between $200 and $400.

September 28, 2013
HTC One Gets Android 4.3 Update Along With Improved Low-Light Camera Performance

The owners of the HTC One should now have access to an Android 4.3 update, the update is available globally throughout all HTC One phones. Not in India, but if anyone of you have a carrier-issued HTC One (on contract) the Android update will still be available but after 30th of September.

This update for the HTC One not only brought the device to the latest version of Android but also improved the camera performance, according to Android Highlights, improvements include a battery charging percentage indicator, improved low-light camera performance, Sense 5 enhancements and increased stability in the overall device.

You can check the update option to see if your device is eligible yet. However, the Android 4.3 update for Samsung’s S3 and Note 2 is still not in the picture.

September 28, 2013
Apple Hires Nike FuelBand Designer Ben Shaffer, iWatch Coming Soon ?

Apple has hired the Nike design director Ben Shaffer, according to a source at Nike with knowledge of the details behind Shaffer’s departure. Ben Shaffer was the Studio Director of the Innovation Kitchen which is Nike’s research and development lab where new product designs are created.

Nike was named the most innovative company in 2013 by Fast Company. Nike’s Innovation Kitchen has been connected to wearable products like the popular Nike Fuel Band, and most recently, the Flyknit shoe. Earlier, Apple also hired fitness expert and Nike FuelBand consultant Jay Blahnik.

After all this one can simply assume that the company’s upcoming wearable will incorporate some of Nike’s fitness-tracking tech, probably the iWatch would have the same or better qualities. Only time will tell, or if we get any exclusive leaked news we will keep you informed!

September 28, 2013
Google To Pay €300,000 Fine for Privacy Violations to a French Agency

France’s National Commission on Computing and Freedom (CNIL) threatened Google with a €300,000 fine due to the company’s lack of compliance with a June decision aimed at protecting users’ private data. The French agency that regulates information technology says Google had not satisfactorily responded to its June decision giving the company three months to be more upfront about the data it collects from users.

In a statement Friday, France’s National Commission on Computing and Freedom, known as CNIL, said:

Google hasn’t made requested changes, including specifying to users what it uses personal data for, and how long it’s held. CNIL said it will now launch formal sanction proceedings, a process that could take months.

On the other hand, Google spokesman Al Verney said:

Our privacy policy respects European law and allows us to create simpler, more effective services. We have engaged fully with CNIL throughout this process and will continue to do so going forward.”

The National Commission on Computing and Freedom said five other European countries are also taking similar steps in a staggered offensive against Google’s privacy policy between now and the end of July. It said Google has largely ignored earlier recommendations from European regulators. Similar actions are underway in Spain, Germany, Britain, Italy and Netherlands.

September 28, 2013
Sony Xperia Z1 Honami Unboxing and Hands on Review

As promised, we are back with the unboxing and hands-on review video of the Sony Xperia Z1 Honami.

The Sony Xperia Z1 boatst modern specs worthy of a flagship smartphone, including a 5-inch full HD 1080p display (441ppi) sporting Sony’s TRILUMINOS screen tech and X-Reality for mobile that debuted on the Xperia Z Ultra 6.4-inch phablet. There is a 2.2Ghz Snapdragon 800 SoC inside, along with 2GB of RAM. 16GB of storage (expandable via MicroSD) and a 3000mAh battery.

The device sports a 20.7 MP Exmor RS sensor with a size of 1/2.3″, along with a G Lens from its higher-end cameras. Its F2.0 aperture and 27 mm wide-angle lens can be the biggest competitor for the Nokia’s flagship device Lumia 1020.

The camera on Sony Xperia Z1 will include set of Xperia Camera Applications like Social Live, Info-Eye, Time Shift Burst and Ar Effect. You can expect are hands on this device really soon.

Stay tuned for the full review of the Sony Xperia Z1.

September 27, 2013
Rumoured Specs Of iPad 5 And iPad Mini 2 (In Gold) Leak

The iPad Mini 2 is rumored to come in the same colors as the new iPhone 5S, we have already seen a photo of the Space Gray version, and now it looks like we have some photos of the gold version of the iPad Mini 2.

Sonny Dickson, the Australian blogger who revealed most of the details about Apple’s iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c before it was launched, has just revealed a ton of details and shared leaked photos of the next generation iPad mini.

Dickson also mentioned that, according to his sources, the iPad mini 2 would include Apple’s new A7 64-bit chip, the M7 motion coprocessor we’re seeing in the iPhone 5s, along with 1GB of RAM. As for the 9.7-inch iPad 5, Dickson’s sources revealed that it will pack 2GB of RAM under the hood, presumably sporting the same specs as little brother. He also claims that iPad mini 2 will come in Space Gray, Gold and Silver. The iPad mini 2 will also include Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint sensor, which was introduced with the launch of iPhone 5s.

If Apple wants Touch ID to be taken seriously and gain mass appeal, it makes sense to have it on as many devices as possible. With that in mind, we’d say it was likely that the iPad 5 will get the same fingerprint scanner, although we can’t say for definite.

Rumour has it that Apple is hosting a media event on Oct 15, which likely will serve as the iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2 release date and Apple fans are crossing their fingers for the prayer to become real.

[Via]

September 27, 2013
Microsoft Streams Halo 4 To Demonstrate Cloud Gaming

Microsoft’s Halo franchise is set in space, but the cloud is where today’s most interesting advancements seem to be happening for the Mast Chief-helmed video game series.

Microsoft has long been suspected to have been working on its own brand of cloud streaming technology for Xbox software, and the latest reports suggest they’re making progress on that front.

The Verge writes that sources familiar with Microsoft’s internal machinations describe a demonstration by company officials that showed Xbox 360 blockbuster Halo 4 running smoothly via network streaming on both a PC (presumably running Windows 8) and a Windows Phone device, specifically the 4″ Nokia Lumia 520.

We understand that Microsoft is building the service as a way to stream games to its Windows devices. Microsoft’s demonstration included a Windows Phone with a Xbox controller attached through an accessory, and a low-end hybrid PC. Microsoft has not yet branded the cloud games service, and officials stressed it was simply prototype at this stage.

It seems unlikely Microsoft will have their cloud game streaming service ready in time for the launch of PlayStation Cloud, which Sony has announced for release in early 2014.

This could be the company’s answer to making the vast library of Xbox 360 backward compatible with the forthcoming Xbox One console. It could be utilized for “more complicated things like rendering full games like a Gaikai and delivering it to the box.”

September 27, 2013
Google Introduces The Most Addictive Doodle Ever

Google, the search engine giant, was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, students of Stanford University. Although the company was founded a few weeks earlier but September 27 is celebrated as its birthday.

Google has always been famous for some interactive doodles, today Google is celebrating its 15th birthday with yet another amazing doodle game.

Google has featured an addictive playful doodle which shows the popular Mexican birthday game pinata, it is a addictive game as you get some tries to make the highest score.

Did you try your hands-on it yet ?

September 27, 2013
Microsoft To Merge Windows Phone And Windows 8 App Store

Microsoft is planning to merge both Windows Phone appstore and Windows appstore in to a single appstore according to reports.

It isn’t entirely clear whether this will result in complete cross-platform compatibility for both Windows 8 and WP8 apps — like Apple’s iPhone and iPad App Store — or if it’s more a case of designing an app store that both platforms will then use independently of each other.

Terry Myerson, the VP of Operating Systems at Microsoft, said that this unification will allow both apps stores to work as one, but did not go into detail on how users would be able to use different apps on different sized hardware.

One set of developer APIs will also encourage developers to build apps for the platform. Currently the developer interest in Windows Phone is less compared to iOS or Android, this should change as the combined appstore becomes quite bigger and will attract more eyeballs.

But all apps wont work on all platforms, like Windows Phone apps wont work on Windows RT tablets, and some of the desktop apps wont work on Windows RT tablets. Windows RT runs on ARM architecture and desktops use Intel chips in most cases.

We expect this unified app store to be released sometime in Spring 2014 alongside a slew of new updates to the Windows ecosystem.

[Via]

September 27, 2013
Bill Gates Says the Combination of ‘Ctrl + Alt + Del’ Was a Mistake

Bill Gates, Microsoft’s chairman and co-founder admitted that the tricky combination of keys used to reboot machines was not well thought out.

Forcing early computer owners to simultaneously press the difficult key combination of Control-Alt-Delete to log on to their machines was a mistake, the Microsoft co-founder said in an interview at a Harvard fundraising campaign. The command was originally designed to reboot a PC and on older versions of Windows was used to log-in, but since Windows 8 launched, it has been used to access the task manager bar.

He explained the original idea was to use a taxing key combination to ensure it was difficult for other software to fake a log-in screen and steal passwords.

[youtube id=”cBHJ-8Bch4E” width=”100%” height=”300px”]

September 27, 2013
Apple Releases iOS 7.0.2 Update To Fix Lock Screen Bug

Apple has started to roll out iOS 7.0.2 to fix a lock screen security bug which was discovered just the very next day when iOS 7 was available for the general masses.

Apple says iOS 7.0.2 will fix the issue where users could bypass an iPhone lock screen to gain access to personal information like photos, email, text messages, Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter accounts. It seems iOS 7.0.2 is a basic security update, however, Apple also said that the new update will also include a Greek keyboard option for passcode entry.

A NULL dereference existed in the lock screen which would cause it to restart if the emergency call button was tapped repeatedly. While the lock screen was restarting, the call dialler could not get the lock screen state and assumed the device was unlocked, and so allowed non-emergency numbers to be dialed. This issue was addressed by avoiding the NULL dereference,” said Apple.

[via]

September 27, 2013